Last week our super taped a laminated sign in the basement: washing machines may not be used between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. There are fourteen units and two machines, so the 9:30ish slot is the only one some of us can reliably get. My lease says nothing about laundry room hours, but the house rules rider says tenants can't use building facilities 'in a manner that disturbs other residents.'

I've been doing a final load around 10:15 after work for about two years. The machines sit directly beneath someone's kitchen, possibly a bedroom. I'm not trying to be the building night owl, but I also don't want to pay laundromat prices every week because a super posted a sign with no discussion.

Does anyone know if this is actually enforceable if it's not in the lease? Are there citywide quiet hours that cover laundry rooms? Could management shut off water to the machines or lock the basement at 10? I'd rather negotiate a real solution than test it by getting my wet clothes stuck downstairs. For context, the machines sit right on old tile over joists, and I'm pretty sure the spin cycle thumps hard. Maybe that's the whole issue.

Oh I have feelings about this! It's the same energy as the outdoor noise thread — Scooters on the sidewalk vs. salmoning Citi Bikers: which one actually ruins your walk? — where we couldn't agree on what counts as ruining someone's walk. But an indoor basement washer at 10:15 is different because low-frequency thump travels up through the floor joists.

My building had a similar sign after a first-floor tenant complained. The sign itself is not a lease; if the rule isn't in your lease or signed house rules, it's more of a request. But the building can argue you're interfering with another tenant's quiet enjoyment. That's a real thing!

Have you tried a thick rubber mat under the feet? If the machine rocks even a little, that's the thump you're hearing. I got one at a hardware store and my neighbor stopped banging on the ceiling. But I still think 10 p.m. is not that late for a two-machine building. You shouldn't have to haul laundry out. Maybe ask the super if 10:15 is really a problem or if it's one specific neighbor.

Signs like that are super classics. In my last place they tried a 9 p.m. cutoff because the super lived in the basement unit and got tired of the spin cycle. Not saying that's your situation, but it usually comes down to one person complaining.

If they didn't give you a lease rider or anything, you've got some room. But if the machine is below someone's bedroom, you might just agree to move the load earlier or do a no-spin final. Eh, I'd keep doing 10 p.m. until I get a real letter. The board can't fine you for a laminated sign.

My two cents: check your house rules, maybe ask for a building meeting. If they lock the room, then you call 311? Actually not sure that helps. But I wouldn't pay the laundromat over 'quiet hours' unless it's in writing.

I just moved into a basement-adjacent unit and honestly had no idea washing machine noise could travel like that. Our sign says no laundry after 9 but I thought it was about not leaving wet clothes? I'm on the second floor and the machine is right under my kitchen, and late loads don't bother me. But maybe the first-floor unit has a baby?

astoria_arch, did the super say what happens if you do it? I'd be nervous about a lock or a passive-aggressive note. Gowanus_G, when you said keep doing 10 p.m. until a real letter—what counts as real? An email from management? A lease rider? I'm new to this.

DykerNewbie: In most buildings a 'real' enforcement starts with a written notice from the owner or managing agent, not a super's sign. An email from management telling you to stop a specific behavior is more real than a laminated sign, but it still isn't a lease amendment. If it's a house rule that was in place when you moved in, it can often be enforced even if it isn't in the lease—if it doesn't substantially change your lease terms. A 10 p.m. laundry cutoff might be considered reasonable, but a complete ban would be harder.

For my building, I checked my rider. It only mentions quiet enjoyment and no washing machines inside units. There's no hour listed. So the sign is arguably just a house rule. The practical issue is that the first-floor tenant below the washer may have a legitimate nuisance complaint if the spin cycle shakes their ceiling.

I'd rather solve the vibration than fight over the sign. DumboSunset, I haven't tried a rubber mat, but I will. The machines sit directly on tile over old wood joists, so that's probably part of it. I'm also going to ask if the super can stagger the two washers or add labels asking people not to run the heavy spin after 10. If enough of us are still up doing laundry, maybe the answer is moving the machines or adding isolation pads.

Yes! The rubber mat thing is not optional if you're on old joists. You want a full sheet, not just four little cups, and if the machine is level but still walking, get a vibration pad made for washers. Also check the drain hose—if it's touching the wall it can turn the whole wall into a speaker.

My old building used a piece of cork under each foot. But this is the detail people miss: it's not the wash cycle that's loud, it's the spin-up. If everyone does a medium spin instead of high after 9, that can drop the noise a lot. astoria_arch, have you tried asking the super to open the room earlier instead of closing it later? Some people can do a load before work if the room opens at 7 a.m. But yeah, the sign isn't the law.

Okay this thread taught me more about washing machines than I expected. I checked my own house rules; no hours listed, but our machines are on the first floor away from bedrooms, so maybe that's why nobody cares.

I ordered a pair of those rubber feet for my own place in case I ever get a portable washer, though I'd ask the super first. Thanks astoria_arch and DumboSunset for the pad tip. I might mention the cork trick to my super if the basement noise ever becomes an issue, but for now I'm just glad I don't live above the spin cycle. Also, 'no spin final' from Gowanus_G made me laugh.